This invention relates to a training aid and, more particularly, to a belt worn around the waist of the player, an attached cradle or flap hanging from the belt, and a football supported by the cradle or flap, which in combination assist in teaching a player to assume a crouching posture when running while carrying the football towards opposing players, and to protect the football from opposing players in a pocket formed by the player's arms.
The desired posture of a football player who is running with the football, and specifically of a backfield player approaching the opposing line while carrying the football, is a crouching posture with the football cradled by the arms in a protective pocket, which lowers the player's center of gravity, reduces the likelihood of the player being forced off-balance or injured, reduces the likelihood of the football being dislodged from the player's control by the opposing players and increases the likelihood that the ball carrier will succeed in advancing the field position of the football. The desired posture is also to hold the shoulders squared in a horizontal orientation, to form and maintain the protective pocket for the football in the most effective manner.
The natural posture of an untrained player in running while carrying a football is a nearly upright position, which allows maximum stride length, but which also increases the vulnerability of the player to blocking and tackling by opposing players, and decreases control of the football by the ball carrier. Assuming the desired crouching posture by a football carrier, and forming and maintaining the protective pocket for the football, requires training, and the use of the device as described herein provides immediate reinforcement of the desired posture and ball-carrying technique of the player, and facilitates the efforts of coaches and trainers.
Tracy (U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,135) discloses a device designed to improve the posture of football players, by encouraging the desired crouching posture but the described device is elaborate, may restrict the player's ability to run, and does not aid in ball-carrying techniques.
Meatheringham (U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,017) and others disclose devices designed to encourage desired positioning of football players, but do not provide the combination of aids to training needed by running backs, as described above.
Killion (U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,484) describes a soccer training apparatus, comprising a waist belt and an elastic tether line connecting the belt with a ball holder. The ball holder comprises a ball cradle portion and a locking arm portion. The waist belt is fastened by hook and loop fasteners located on overlapping belt ends, and the elastic tether line attached to the belt allows the ball and ball holder to rest on the playing surface. In use, the user kicks the ball and ball holder, which return to the user after each kick. The apparatus of Killion provides a ball and ball cradle on the playing surface, designed to aid in kicking training for soccer players, but does not enable training for ball carrying.
Hauter (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,669,837, 5,586,760 and 5,443,576) describes a soccer training apparatus. The apparatus has a mesh soccer net sized and configured for encapsulating a soccer ball and loosely holding the soccer ball within the mesh soccer net enabling the encapsulated soccer ball to freely rotate within. The mesh net is connected to a waist belt by a cord, leaving the mesh soccer net carrying the soccer ball suspended from the waist belt. These inventions are adapted for training players in kicking and foot dribbling soccer balls, but do not enable training for ball carrying as the current invention provides.
Forrest, Sr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,532) describes a wiffle football provided with a tether having a free end attachable to the user. This apparatus does not enable training for ball carrying.
Guerriero (U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,993) describes an athletic training harness including a waist belt having a pair of adjustable thigh straps, and having multiple connectors on the belt, each adapted to connect to a tether. This apparatus does not provide for supporting a ball from the waist belt, or enabling training for ball carrying.